Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle | River North Brewery

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A crazy mashup of styles results in brewers wanting to tackle it, River North nails what it is supposed to be. Belgian character first and foremost but bitterness nails it without ever letting go of what they yeast did. Very mellow alcohol for its size, any true hop head shouldn’t be afraid to climb this IBU ladened mountain.

Pours a clear amber with a brownish tinge. Thin but long-lasting cap of foam. Nicely tingly in the mouth. A sweet aroma with something like geraniums.

An intriguing mix of flavors. The surprisingly strong clove flavor is the least pleasant of them. Better is the touch of cedar and mango nectar.

The yeasty dryness comes through midway. Bitterish finish, though less bitter than some of these Belgian hybrids I've been trying lately. Minty chewing gum plus a lot of pepper and pencil shavings. Orange with some orange peel. Still sweet in spite of the yeasty taste.

Quite sippable and you forget it's as strong as a summer white wine. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Wilbur's Total Beverage in Fort Collins.

Hops and yeast dominate the nose. White pepper, coriander and clove. Followed closely and powerfully by the hops. Citrus and tropical.

One thing I don't really love about B-IPAs is the emphasis on the B. This one does not fit that complaint. The Belgian flavors/spices (coriander, clove, bubblegum and white pepper) are there and provide a good flavor profile The soft biscuit and hops are what makes this beer really good. Yes, it's hoppy, buth combo of Belgian and American flavors is great.

A - Pours a deep opaque orange color. Pearly white head that doesn't really build, just sits there as a film.

S - Very strong citrus notes, seemingly combining a floral hop character and what I think is the belgian yeast coming through. A little phenols are there.

T - Starts off smooth and sweet, going with pilsner and piles of 2row malts. Mid-stream the yeast takes over - the esters and white peppers rule the day. There are some citrus hops as well, a nice compliment. Finishes with a bit of sweetness and an increasing white pepper base.

M - Thick and creamy, carbonation is strong but just not enough to convince me its balanced or too in line with the nature of other belgians. alcohol warmth grows strong as the beer goes along.

O/D - A very solid belgian IPA. Hits all the main points for this non-traiditional style. A little bit boozy. A bit hefty and filling. The most notable flavors are just a little too muddled to consider this my favoriate BIPA, but its sure up there. I"ll have to try more beers from this brewery.

Hypothesis is a golden amber color with great clarity and thin short-lived head.

Aroma is sweet and slightly spicy but has surprisingly little hop aroma for a double IPA.

Flavor is much stronger and mor bitter than the aroma would suggest. A slightly sweet start to the sip leads to a big bitter hop bite towards the middle. It finishes a bit more dry but the hoppiness lingers on.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated.

Overall a solid effort from a River North. It has similar elements to its saison, probably the yeast, but is geared more for the hop head.

This beer was the only one of the few I tried at River North that was really disappointing. The bitterness was extremely restrained and there was barely any Belgian yeast character, which left me confused based on the style of this beer.

For the high ABV and 130 IBUs, this drank smooth. The belgian yeast kept the hops toned down. The grassiness, grapefruit notes were relatively subdued. The high alcohol is well hidden so be wary if you take down a whole bomber solo.

The color is on the darker side of the IPA spectrum.

Shared with a few folks and it went down very quickly. Another solid newcomer to the Denver craft brew scene.